Life in the Quay of Sea

Halloween 2007: Bryn & James at Wil's...

2007-10-29T14:01:00.000+09:00

The Pea Pod Pixie demonstrates his insatiable appetite for Green Worms...

Casper The Friendly Ghost Tolls the Bell, Pumpkin aloft

Fun with the boys...

2007-07-21T14:12:00.000+08:00

Just hanging out with the gang at baby yoga
L-R Tenzin, Bryn, Rowan

At the studio shoot with the blue ball

My favourite cousin Noah came with us to the studio!

Now Daddy's got the ball and I've got a stool to climb!

When I'm One...

2007-07-21T13:56:00.000+08:00

Here's where I live now, with my Mummy and Daddy...

...but when I turn one next week, here's where I'd like to go. Amazon Rain forest, here I come!

On the Other Side of the Lens...

2007-03-26T15:54:00.000+08:00

Some recent(ish) Mummy and Baby pics...

1. at Kulcha

Smoke ceremony with Nyoongar (local Aboriginal) Elders, Pinjarra (Bryn is wrapped in a sarong to protect him from smoke and mosquitos)

Feeding Bryn pawpaw (first solids) on Sunday

Those Were The Days, My Friends: Musical Nostalgia Pour Moi...

2007-03-26T15:01:00.000+08:00

Rummaging through my photos online I found the cover for two CDs, reminding me of previous musical accomplishments: my choir (Ocean) and comedy duo (Bad Hair Day). Most days, they are both the furthest things from my mind- I continue to adore being mostly home with baby Bryn- but sometimes I long for the freedom to do something like that again!...

Letuce Eat, Sing & Be Merry (1)...

2007-03-11T19:12:00.000+09:00

Bryn got stuck into the salad and some watermelon....and nearly ingested an alcohol-soaked hibiscus flower drink additive, at Emil's 1st Birthday picnic on South Beach lawn...

At Olwyn's (Pinakarri Community) several weeks back...

With Wyndham, decidedly balder but equally cute at 4 months old, at Rhythmsong Camp 3 weeks back...

Rhythmsong guest tutors Valanga Khoza (Melbourne ex-South Africa) and Rachel Hore ( Blue Mountains ex-Sydney, of Arram Aieda fame). I asked them to pose for another 'spontaneous' smooch over the breakfast table!

Sunflower Season...

2007-01-24T19:36:00.000+09:00

Attracting bees

Bryn loves pulling the petals off the Sunflowers in a vase on the kitchen table

With Daddy touching the sunflowers out the front which self-seeded and popped up spontaneously

Picnic by the River...

2007-01-24T19:12:00.000+09:00

On Saturday we headed for the Freo arts Centre again with Grandma Pam to hear Pascale's Piaf tribute. It was packed, so we ended up on the river in east Freo near Zephyr Cafe (ex Leeuwin Chewin). Bryn is seen here in his new purple floppy hat from his other Gran, Oma...

Sunflower City...

2007-01-16T16:21:00.000+09:00

Doug cleaned the fishpond in the courtyard today...

which at the moment has an 'umbrella' of feral sunflowers in full bloom...

the bees have discovered it too!

Pretty soon, the parrots will arrive and snap off the sunflower heads with scissor-like precision (typically this is a late January phenomenon). Pink nd Grey Galahs, Twenty Eights (Port Lincoln Parrots) and sometimes Whiter-tailed Black Cockatoos and Rainbow Lorikeets...

for now, it's just the bees...

Bath Mouse...

2007-01-09T18:18:00.000+09:00

Charlie Brown spotted a mouse in the outdoor bath when we arrived home this afternoon and in true Jack Russel spirit wouldn't leave it alone and had to be brought indoors. Poor wee rodent couldn't get out because of the slippery enamel sides, so I helped it to escape via the 'lizard' ladder (a grass tree stump)

In fact, there was also a lizard, a little gecko, in the bath. I'm not quite sure what mice and geckoes make of each other, but they took refuge in the same corner of the bath before I helped liberate them..

Hitchin' A Ride..

2007-01-08T00:31:00.000+09:00

Bryn occasionally hitches a ride in the laundry hamper when it's full 9actually, it's a conveneient place for Mummy or Daddy to put him when on the loo or otherwise 'hands full' in the combined bathroom/laundry!

Helloooooo down there Brynnie, in your secret fist-sucking hideout!

Peek-a-boo!

Never Too Young to Play the Piano

2007-01-08T00:19:00.000+09:00

Bryn playing with Neil Moore, Simply Music Founder and Director, on visit to Perth for a Teachers' Conference on December 17

Never too young to play the piano! If we put Bryn on the piano stoll in his Bumbo, he bashes merrily away for a while on the digital piano!

2007-01-08T00:14:00.000+09:00

"Hmmmm", ponders 24 week old Bryn

"Could this be our new home....Could this be where I'm living when I'm 6 months old, where I learn to crawl and run around?...

....complete with view of the sea from front garden?...

...Hmmmm", says the little sage to The Happy Buddha who looks over the pond in the garden of his only wee home so far, " I wonder, I do..."

Further Christmas Day Exploits...

2006-12-27T13:11:00.000+09:00

Bryn crashed out on Noah's bed after all the cuddles and stimulation...

The others went off to play cricket in the park over the road....

But Poor Poor Charlie Brown had to stay at home- he was desperate to join in the fun! seeen here peering dejectedly through the fence, gazing covetously upon cricket balls and small children....

Christmas Cuddles and Other Snippets

2006-12-27T12:38:00.000+09:00

Oupa Ced discovers there's a drink named after him (well, almost...)

"what's all the scratchy fun stuff growing on Uncle Dave's chin, Mummy"

Aunty Moira is fun to surf on....

Bryn's Christmas Swim #2...

2006-12-27T12:29:00.000+09:00

Immersing the pixie amid kayaks and snorklers...

And Charlie Brown was in his element too- he met his energy match with several pint-size pooches on the dog beach...

Pixie Munchkin's 1st Xmas Beach swim...

2006-12-27T12:23:00.000+09:00

Christmas Day was a hottish 36 degrees, so we headed for South Dog Beach arounf 9am with Bryn and Charlie (Aleisha was invited but chose to stay at home playing with Xmas prezzies)...

Testing the water, wrapped carefully against the sun, fascinated by the reflection, I took Bryn in wrapped ina sarong...the sea was quite calm as the Fremantle Doctor (sea breeze) was yet to arrive...

Nestled into Mummy, lulled by the gentle lapping in the shallows by the shore, Bryn nearly fell asleep in the shade of my body...

Wrapped in a snuggly towel on the beach with Daddy, after the big swimming adventure...

Green Ladybird Skirt #5...

2006-12-17T23:48:00.000+09:00

The full skirt, made of limey/ apple green cotton which I bought some time a go (it was the fun 'appliqued' 3-dimensional bit that attracted me)...

The ladybirds which i bought at a haberdashery stall in Stock Rd Markets which have since burnt down...attached by adding sticky backed felt and then pinning them on with safety pins so the ladybirds can be removed for washing!...

Detail: the side

Detail: the bottom coloured braid (also bought in the same expedition to Stock Rd Markets )

Burgundy and Beads: Skirt #4

2006-12-17T21:30:00.000+09:00

Amazing what you can do with a 50c piece of linen sarong with the Madrasi tailors address still upon it on a very Indian label, bought at the Church Fair jumble sale!...plus a couple of big buttons...

Detail of the beaded wooden panel at the base of the skirt

Closeup detail of the wooden beading...

Fishy Fashion...Skirt # 3

2006-12-14T00:04:00.000+09:00

The front view of my latest creation. The fishy fabric (rayon) I found in Spotlight a couple of years ago and kept for a 'rainy day' (or should that be 'sunny day' as it's such a summer design and weight?!). It's basically a rip-off of the first spotty red and khaki one, from which I cut a simple pattern for future reference...

The aqua blue batik-look material was intended for a dress I ordered from someone on LETS years ago, but she didn't have time to finish it. Part of it was used to cover a cushion which is now Charlie's bed outside in the storage room where he sleeps!...

Detail of the joiny bits where the fish meet the aqua and the lace which I also have had in my sewing box for aaaages- I picked it off a dress I found in an op shop, originally to use on a pair of bathers...

I looove the jellyfish in the design of the fabric! Seen here joinging the aqua blue batik front panel.

Soaking in it...

2006-12-11T22:06:00.000+09:00

I've finally reclaimed my bath, now that the fence has been replaced and the fern jungle cleared a bit to gain access.Bliss! Bryn came in for a soak towards the end and fell asleep on me...

Red and Orange Recycled Skirts Skirt...

2006-12-05T12:07:00.000+09:00

top of skirt detail

So much red and orange! The next one will definitely be greens and blues!

(this one is flashlit, the other two pics are natural light and the colour truer to life)

bottom of skirt detail

Water Baby...

2006-12-04T22:15:00.000+09:00

I missed the morning creche, so we went to the pool with BJ, the 20 year old daughter of a colleague who is visiting from Melbourne. She snapped some pics of Bryn and me in the hydrotherapy pool and looked after him while I did some laps in the 25m. We came home and sang songs with piano until Doug and Aleisha arrived home around 6ish.

It looks like we are in full sunlight, but the roof of the enclosed pool filters harmful uv rays. The sides of the pool are heavy-duty clear plastic which can be zipped up or down, depending on the weather.

Bryn can: float on his tummy and back, allows me to duck him under water (at 18 weeks, he still has his fishy instincts) and generally seems to love being towed around in the water...

BJ had to pull a few funny faces to distract him and get him to smile for the camera (too busy being fascinated by the reflection on the water, the ripples and the bubbles)...

Skirting Around the Issue...

2006-11-28T23:17:00.000+08:00

No clothes that fit me (and my 'jellyfish' still-pregnant belly) in my wardrobe, plus oddments of fabric sitting in the sewing box and assorted trims = operation creative skirt-making!

Pictured is exhibit #1, made from my now too small Bad Hair Day costume skirt, formerly black spots on white which I inadvertantly turned khaki on white by putting it in with whites and colour run remover! Plus some remnants I had in red and orange-red, trimmed with the bit of red edging I used when I re-upholstered the double piano stool!...

Red-flowering Eucalypt & Rainbow Lorikeet...

2006-11-26T14:14:00.000+08:00

You can just make out the rainbow lorikeet munching the red flowers of the gorgeous gum tree on the verge of next doors house, visible from our kitchen window- a real sign that Summer is here!...

...and the view from the other side, complete with a few wispy clouds in an otherwise blue sky (34 degrees today)...

Seaweed Baby Clam Mummy Costumes...

2006-11-26T12:52:00.000+08:00

Rockin' The Baby Live on Bather's Beach...

2006-11-26T12:16:00.000+08:00

A very blurry still of us moving across the stage in "Rockin' The Baby", where we emerged from our whiter than white cane and tissue paper clam shells, clutching pearly babies, wearing sweeping calico skirts and 'seaweedy' tops in aqua and green. The lighting is deliberately oceanic blue. The sound was incredibly good and both my 'Three Four Lullaby' and Bryn's recorded baby cries were clearly audible, despite the seabreeze...

Animocean...

2006-11-26T12:05:00.000+08:00

Some stills from the videos Doug took...

Animocean up in Flames!

Pirate King Puppet

Pyrotechnics to 1412 Overture!

Acrobatics

We Are Family...

2006-11-20T11:20:00.000+08:00

It was a really family and community-packed weekend for Bub-a-Lugs. Dad and Uncle Dave on Saturday evening, my sister and family Sunday afternoon and Grandma Pam on Sunday evening!

Pam and Bryn

Moira, Josh and Bryn

Chris and Bryn

Oupa Ced and Bryn, the Birthday Buddies

Rockin' The Baby Pics...

2006-11-18T18:04:00.000+08:00

Rockin' The Baby...

2006-11-18T17:55:00.000+08:00

Our performance is drawing nearer- one dress rehearsal on Friday on stage at Bathers Beach and then the show is on Saturday night.

Pictured here, some of the other women swirling their skirts as part of the lullaby waltz using my "Three Four Lullaby". We emerge from "clam shells" and hold symbolic pearl babies which are actually plastic balls that have sea urchin-esque spines, handy for gripping, which we rock to sleep!

Four out of five of us discussing the piece

Mich and Jo carrying Bryn when he fell asleep after a feed on my lap

Bryn, out for the count- it's all a bit much for him with music, older baby and toddler activity, noise and toys, although there were a few grannies available to keep an eye on him!

Rockin' The Baby...

2006-11-18T17:24:00.000+08:00

Our little Community Arts gig is drawing closer as Fremantle Festival kicks into gear. Yesterday we rehearsed with a rough soundtrack and plastic balls that symbolize our pearl babies. They look like sea urchins, which makes them easy to grip. Costumes and 'clam shells' should ready soon. Fun! We have a dress rehearsal on the stage at Bathers Beach on Friday, and then we're on Saturday around 7:30pm. Pictured is four of us sitting discussing and reviewing our piece, Mich and Jo carrying a sleepy Bryn for me, when e had fallen asleep after his feed and Bryn out for the count on his new wee beanbag. It all gets a bit much for him, poor darling, with so much music, toddler and toy activity, although there was an assortment of aunts and grannies to mind him...

Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree...

2006-11-18T17:14:00.000+08:00

...and I'm not talking nostalgic Girl Guide campfire ditties and rounds, here, there really are two kookaburras (a mother and her fledgling yougster, still with soft, downy feathers) who appear to have taken up residence in the eucalypts outside. They cause quite a ruckus in the wee hours. Not indigenous to WA, they were introduced. They're not quite in such plague proportions as the Rainbow Lorrikeets who hang out in the date palms up at nearby Monument Hill and do their raucus sunset chorus at Cottesloe Beach, but there seem to be plenty of Kookaburras around...

But Wait, There are More Baby Toys!...

2006-11-12T23:48:00.000+08:00

"...and", adds Bryn, "we mustn't forget my new-to-me 'Jolly Jumper' courtesy of Aunty L and the cousins, or my 'bargain' play gym with sea creatures from Melville Markets (carpark 'swap meet')..."

Charlie Makes Me Chuckle!...

2006-11-12T23:38:00.000+08:00

Bryn seems to be noticing Charlie now (up until a week ago, he only appeared to recognize human faces) and laughing when he jumps up to say hello!...

Look What I Can Do, Mummy!...

2006-11-12T23:17:00.000+08:00

Bryn says: "I can variously...

...look cute in my Summer suit!
...touch my toes!
...pull my Mummy's hair
...read my new books!

Cute As...

2006-11-05T12:34:00.000+08:00

Taken this morning while giving Brynnie 'tummy time' on the change table, fourteen weeks and irresistably cute! He is learning to make clicking and brrrr sounds with his mouth, chuckling and chatting away loudly and producing copious amounts of bubble...

Laptop Music & The Bumbo...

2006-11-02T13:04:00.000+08:00

Musical Babies...

2006-11-02T12:48:00.000+08:00

I've found a way to notate compositions and songs using Finale Notepad free version. All I can say is that musical notation software has come a long way since I last attempted to use it! I can even prop the laptop on the upright piano, which is behind the digital one for space economy, and write the music, with Bryn either in a sling or perched alongside me in his 'Bumbo'...

This is a vaccination-free zone...

2006-10-28T13:08:00.000+08:00

Big day yesterday- bought a thing called a Bumbo for Bryn to sit in, went to a rehearsal of something called "Rockin' the Baby" for Freo Festival and also caught Isaac Golden at the Homeopathy conference currently being held in Fremantle- bought the latest edition of his book on Vaccination vs Homeoprophylaxis, which contains some very credible research findings supporting vaccine damage and effective homeopathic alternatives.

Was completely knackered, but enjoyed catching the free CAT bus into town and had a relaxing bath at a friend's last night while she sort of looked after him- he ended up in the tub with me, but slept long and deeply last night 51/2 hours straight without a feed or a nappy change!...

My Little Pyromaniac...

2006-10-25T10:21:00.000+08:00

\
Maybe it's because he's a Leo, but Bryn looooved the fire at last night's dinner!

The other pic is a cuddle from daddy while Hare Krishna-ing around the fire...

"Hare Krishna, Hare Rama"...

2006-10-25T10:11:00.000+08:00

We dragged Grandma Pam to a community dinner, a one-off Hare Krishna meal cooked by an ex-resident who had moved to Sydney and found his true calling in "The Movement", complete with celibacy vows. Now, I like the odd bit of chanting, and Indian spirituality, as does D, though I am comfortably not interested in HK. Pam, predictably polite, was clearly out of her depth and comfort zone. The empowered teenage girls all asked poignant questions about male bias- quite funny really!...

More Merriment at the Lake...

2006-10-22T19:22:00.000+08:00

Bibra Lake in the background, picnickers in the foreground

Piquenique by the Lake..

2006-10-22T18:31:00.000+08:00

Another picnic, this time by Bibra Lake where all the swannies and cygnets are currently swimming merrily along!
B from our local communitycelebrated his Birthday. Lots of willing baby-holders gave me a break and the rest of the time Bryn was content to doze and feed inside the comfort of the purple sling ( a bit cold and threatened rain, but din't actually rain). He isn't generally keen on leaving home so early in the morning (around 9am) but dozed there and in the car, then would have slept soundly, but for the cannons and fireworks going off down at the fishing boat harbour, which kept startling him awake -today was the annual 'Blessing of the Fleet', when all the Italian and Portugese sardine fisherfolk start there season at sea...I manafged to do dishes thoguh and clean up a bit and fill a new beanbag, in between his naps...

Colour Co-ordinates, Colds, Companions & Cuteness!...

2006-10-21T08:07:00.000+08:00

I confess, it's fun to dress Bryn in colour co-ordinated outfits. Pictured here in his orange giraffe-emboidered all-in-one suit, bought exclusively from Coles supermarket, teamed with complementary blue hand-me-down cardigan, by an anonymous knitter, outgrown by Baby B.C., fawn corduroys with cute doggy applique courtesy of The Family Nurturing Centre clothes swap bins and his cream faux-fur 'My Bear' label beanie from fashion-conscious Aunty L. I believe I put him in mauve and purple seahorse socks bught recently from the sock kiosk at Garden City...
Bryn's first wee cold! Well, a snuffly nose and weepy eye, perhaps brought on by the wild Spring winds at the picnic on Monday and when Oma took him walking by the river on Tuesday, while I was at T.C.'s homeopathy course. He slept more during the day, even nodded off in his bouncer which was most uncharacteristic. Nothing a bit of medicinal Mummy milk couldn't remedy though, both orally and topically (ie in the eye)...

C.D.'s windswept picnic on Monday in Valley Park nearby - me in the foreground with Bryn snug in his purple sling, plus a bunch of Mum's and toddlers celebrating a Birthday with icecream cake...
And this one is just plain cute! it''s a still shot from one of several videos taken with D's kids, including his son and son's new partner last Saturday. Bryn's 11-week-old, chucklesome responses were due to D's "who's a cheeky boy?" routine, plus my silly songs and B (D's 26 year-old son) playing the recorder, which Bryn seemed to enjoy!...

Calling all Grannies...

2006-10-15T17:06:00.000+08:00

As my Mum isn't closeby or readily or regularly available, and D's Mum has Altzheimers, I might need to find some surrogate Grannies for Bryn! He is pictured here with N's Mum at the 4yr old birthday party a couple of weeks back, staring fixedly at his Mummy! Today, while at a LETS picnic at Freo Arts Centre, I spotted M.B. who has offered to be a stand-in Granny, so already things are happening...
This photo depicts a typical bedroom scene, with D playing with Brynnie on the bed and the aforementioned 'Noah's Ark' mobile which hangs from a rice-paper lightshade in the centre of the room, at the foot of where his cradle (not that he is in it much!) usually stands (it's on wheels so it gets moved about our small space a bit)...

Kiwi Fruit...

2006-10-14T23:15:00.000+08:00

My oldest childhood friend in Australia was visiting from New Zealand where she has lived for the last 15 years, so she rang wanting to catch up on Thursday. Her partner is a dairy farmer and they have 4 kids aged between 4 and 12! Her Mum, who chauffered her here, snapped us with Bryn and Charlie Brown at home.

We all reminisced and filled in the gaps for each other. I remembered that we started school together, but were separated on the first day because we chatted too much! Such cruel practices imposed on wee 5 yr olds in those days. The school we went to had a bell. I remember being very disappointed when I changed schools in year 2 that the new school had a siren and not a bell that was rung by hand!

Today we had lunch with G's kids and ex, so Bryn finally got to meet his 26-yr-old half-brother and his new girlfriend. We had lots of fun videoing each other, but we left the connector so I can't transfer the pics and vids onto the laptop yet! Bryn doesn't sleep well away from home, so will hopefully have a long sleep tonight. He' scurrnetly in his sea crature decorated yellow cradle, a few hours of respite where I (and D) can have some respite before he joins us in the bed again...

Lean, Mean Growing Machine...

2006-10-11T21:54:00.000+08:00

Baby Bryn was weighed by the lovely D, child health nurse, yesterday at the clinic. He hasn't grown hugely, having gone from 4.1 at birth to 5.28 now after 11 weeks...The growth has mainly been in his length- 53cm at birth, 58cm at 6 weeks and now he is 61.5cm- nothing Michelinesque about him, just one 'crease' at each thigh and upper arm! He is still fitting into 0000 clothing width-ways, but his 'grosuits' give him a bit of a 'wedgy' (crotch tight, legs too short, although actually I think it is his body that is long)!!!

I mainly talked about both D & I needing support, separately and as a couple and she referred us to a few agencies and people. I'm aware that there is less out there for men, so it was good to find people who work a lot around supporting guys through the challenges of juggling everything with a new baby on the scene...

Happy 'bout the Nappy

2006-10-10T18:38:00.000+08:00

I finally did a thorough online search for fitted cloth nappies yesterday and decided that clorful, one-size, all-in-one adjustable 'pocket' nappies with breathable covers included was the way to go. We've been using biodegradable disposables, but there is evidence linking them to male infertility (due to testicular temperature in baby boys) and it works out so much more expensive in the long term, and of course the environmental/landfill issue.

Anyway, there is an absolute plethora or home-based businesses run by women in Australia selling their productd on the net. I shopped around for the best combination of features and price. I bought six like the one pictured in red, periwinkle, aqua and baby blue which included a complimentary hemp (highly absorbent) insert (the bit that absorbs the wee), from a local Perth site. They arrived today already! Check out www.greenkids.com.au . I bought a further six called 'bumGenius' from a Melbourne source (see www.theweewuns.com.au) in yellow, grass green and blue (pictured here), along with inserts and a dozen or so mixed inserts/boosters from a woman in Queensland (she appears to have hte best value hemp and microfibre inserts and boosters for added absorbtion at night etc.(www.cushietushies.com.au). Ideally, as they are adjustable for small or large babies, rather than having to upsize as he grows, the same set will see him through to toddlerhood...

Playtime...

2006-10-10T09:36:00.000+08:00

When he isn't working or suffering from the bloke version of post-natal depression, D plays games with and amuses Bryn (songs & silly noises). Bryn can really chuckle now, in response to these things. He also shakes his first 'rattle', a small blue elephant with a bell in it, given to us by N.T. In the photo in which he appears distracted, he is gazing at a Noah's Ark mobile which hangs from the lampshade above his cradle in the bedroom.

Today we have our second clinic with the child health nurse. It will be interesting to see how much my slimline bub weighs- he's so looooong and yet quite lean. ...

I'm Popeye The Baby Man..

2006-10-08T21:35:00.000+08:00

I can't resist sharing this pic, which is among my all time Bryn Favourites (am currently using it as my desktop background image too). It was taken two weeks ago by J.A. who babysat for me while I had my hair done by a friend at her home. Although Bryn had been smiling heaps, it was quite difficult to catch the momentary smile, however this one really captures his squinty grin!..

Arty Farty Sunday Arvo...

2006-10-08T21:12:00.000+08:00

We took D's Mum P to the Courtyard Music at Fremantle Arts Centre, at the invitation of D.C. He was there with his wee girl S who is now 4. The band, the first of weekly acts for the season, was called Urban Eccentrics, featuring a versatile male operatic voice, double bass and assorted instruments and genres from folk to Italian. I videoed while a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was sung. Ran into a number of frineds and generally had a pleasant day on the lawn, then checked out the annual Fremantle Print Award exhibition in the main gallery. Prints from al over Oz . We bought one by local artist Emily Holt, titled Dream Chair, which depicts a cosy lounge room scene centred around a well-worn armchair, in vivid reds yellows blues and greens (see photo below, Bryn in pram and Pam in front of 'our' print). It was Bryn's first culture vulture outing, apart from those in utero (captured in second pic)! The pic above is of me and a contentedly full, sleeping Brynnie on the lawn, with the cafe behind us...

Spring Really is Here...

2006-10-02T09:02:00.000+08:00

I really needed some support and some time out and about and in the fresh Spring air. I'd arranged with midwife Th. to get some homeopathic remedies from her. So, after yoga and a loooong nap with Bryn, we took ourselves off to South Beach where I had (decaf) cappuccino at the Kiosk and bumped in to N who is 1o weeks pregnant, before popping into Th's to collect the remedies and have a chat. She recently midwifed for a woman who home-birthed twins that were 9 and 10 ponds respectively!

Yesterday, I took Bryn to 4 yr old R's Birthday Party- lots of kids, mums some of whom had new babies too (mostly 2nd timers) and a violinist playing along to The Little Mermaid soundtrack. May post a pic or too from there.

Popped in to Cl & D's enroute home and l was in- they gave me a gorgeous aqua coloured grow suit from Broome, part proceeds from which go to Timorese community projects. Another solid, wise woman to chat to who understands the challenges and need for validation as the mother of a young baby.

Today is a public holiday. I've declined offers of picnics etc because I just want to mooch around after a somewhat social weekend

Asian Baby Love...

2006-09-23T12:39:00.000+08:00

I fiiiiiiiiinally embarked on our first pram trip into town yesterday, where I variously sorted out how to use the usb microdrive at Dick Smith- so far so good!

I submitted the vaccination exemption (conscientious objection
) form, and bought skincare and hair things as well as an anniversary prezzie for D, mesh hanging toy baskets and a multi-purpose folding table which I picked up this morning (too big to put in pram basket and carry uphill) all inexpensively from Red Dot and Homeart. I also got a few things from Coles, where
I ran into Maddy who piously cautioned me about what her midwife had told her about eating chocolate while breastfeeding (I had a chocolate bar for anniversary celebrations and some Musashi 'Growling Dog' protein bars in my hand). Too bad- yesterday was Ginny self-indulgance and pampering day! Also bumped into M.H. whose phone number midwife M had given me and who I rang on Wednesday re bra sources for the well-endowed.

I also bought a bamboo steamer and some tempeh in our local Asian supermarket. I was struck by the cultural ease the Chinese have re babies- the mother spontaneously picked up Bryn when he grizzled and I had my arms full (captured in lovely photo, above). I seem to remember this from when we lived in Singapore when I was a toddler and my lil sis M was a baby...

There were Two in the Bed, and the Little One Said...

2006-09-22T09:28:00.000+08:00

...Thanks for bringing me home, Mummy! Taken by Daddy D, a couple of nights after we settled in at home together

Housebound...

2006-09-22T09:15:00.000+08:00

Well, I organized the pram, but between Bryn's hunger and the rain, didn't make it out of the house yesterday to do shopping and errands in town. I did, however, manage to download mp3 file sharing program and some songs! I'm keen to get what I need to transfer files from old pc to new, asap.

To the left is the photo relating to my zoo blog a few posts back- will try and relocate it to that post. I accidentally stumbled on and downloaded Picasa- free photo editing software by Google which makes uploading pics to this blog a bit quicker. Okay, off into town we go...

At Home with Homeopathy...

2006-09-20T17:40:00.000+08:00

I have to say, I am increasingly placing my faith in homeopathic remedies as an adjunct to other health strategies, on the basis of how effective they have been for healing from the labour and birth. I think I have midwife T.C. to thank for this. I nipped into town to the High St Pharmacy, where the homeopath recommended silica for the stye, saying it pushes out any foreign bodies quickly (therefore contra-indicated for people with metal pins in their joints). I started taking it at 10 minute intervals on Sunday night, and by Sunday morning the stye 'popped' and drained itself! I'm feeling much better after sleep, a cry and resting both eyes, salt baths and chamomile teabag eye pillows. I also highly recommend hammamelis for haemmorhoids, arnica for bruising and swelling, and belladonna for engorged breasts.

Bryn is being thoroughly cute these days- at the seven-eight week smiling, gurgling and giggling stage! The camera has been a God-send: I've taken quite a few mini videos capturing the behaviours and expressions while they last- everything changes so quickly!...

Pig Stye?...

2006-09-18T18:58:00.000+08:00

Bizarrely, D and I have both had styes in our left eye, a week apart. I think I'm just a bit run down- still recovering plus seven weeks of breastfeeding. According to test results my iron levels are good now, so it can't be that. I put it down to colloidal iron supplement. D is visibly stressed and stretched, too. I've become a bit stiff and sore from lack of exercise and lying or sittig smewhat awkwardly to feed Bryn.

I hit the pool for a stretch with R.J. looking after Bryn. Her bub is due in three weeks. Then had a massage with G.T. the doula and went for dinner to Pinakarri community, at J.D's . invitation. I feel so much better for having had some body TLC to take away the stiffness and soreness, which is the main difficulty right now especially as Bryn gets bigger.

Late Night Forays...

2006-09-15T03:26:00.000+08:00

I haven't been getting up so much in the night, just feeding Bryn and going back to sleep, but tonight I have a kind of sciatica and need to stretch and not lie in bed for a while.

Perhaps it's just that the novelty has worn off, now that Bryn is seven weeks old, and we are not getting so many visitors and my hormone levels are changing, plus cumulative tiredness, but I am feeling flatter and actually less fit than while pregnant before the birth. I checked out post-partum physio classes at KEMH, but I wasn't able to park and catch the train (no parking available at any station between here and Claremont), so I drove all the way and parked at Daglish and couldn 't feed Bryn as planned. I did about two minutes of stretching and the effort of going and returning was more than the benefit of the class. The baby massage segment was lovely though- it's the most I've seen Bryn grinning and squirming! I'm going to stick with local things such as swimming and yoga. I also went up and visited one of the midwives which got videoed. I've taken a few home vids so far-amazing how far the technology has come. I also stumbled on some vid sequences of me in the tub during labour which I hadn't known existed. Fantastic to have and play back on my laptop.

Yesterday, I followed up Bs suggestion to go to mums and bubs home group, but there was a sign on the door saying cancelled due to illness. I spontaneously popped in to Ns nearby, to book a haircut and ended up having an informal mums chat with her friend A, who has an 11wk old 'Michelin baby', all folds and rolls of fat! N invited me to stay for lunch with them- tempeh and salad in mountain bread, yum! Brynnie finally finished feeding, so I then slept all arfternoon until D got in from work.

I'm a bit miffed that my AWGRAD (artists way online group) posts aren't arriving, although I'm still receiving somewhat skimpy daily digests. I need some advice re digital pics as I've had no luck uploading and emailing photos.

It finally feels like Spring with temps in the mid-twenties. A bit of a shock to the system, actually, and I have to adjust to moving Bryn in a hot car, sunshine on his soft skin etc. Other than that, I'm lookng forward to spending more time outdoors in the sunshine

A Whole Week...

2006-09-10T22:08:00.000+08:00

And a busyish one at that, since my last post. It's been full of an outing a day, myself and bubs to mother's groups, doctors appointments and the zoo, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday respectively and with D to Garden City to buy a digital camera, then to sister's Birthday Friday and Friday evening. It's great to have the cam for pics and vids, which came with some decent photo editing software. I was pooped today, so I rested a lot and caught "Five days, one Summer." Synopsis: an interesting, subtle English film starring Sean Connery, set in the '40s, about a married Doctor involved with his much younger (20s?) Niece. Both are avid climbers who brave the Alps along with their young Swiss guide, who dissuades her from the liaison once he discovers the truth.

The zoo trip in particular was surprisingly fun. I'm not a huge fan of animals in captivity, but the forum I attended on Saturday morning happened to be at the zoo's convention centre. I couldn't walk far, but put Bryn in the pram and did the circuit of the African Savannah animals (elephants, lions, hyenas, zebras, rhinos etc). I snapped some cutely funny photos of Bryn, who happened to be in his "Baby Giraffe" label jumpsuit, beside the world-famous photo of the baby giraffe being kissed by its Mummy (hopefully it will post here). When I got home and showed them to D, he told me he went to school and was good mates with Ronald D'Raine the photographer, who also took the photos of D's wedding to his first wife! I stopped to feed Bryn outside the orangutang enclosure and we watched them at play for some time, grooming each other, tumbling, climbing, cuddling and coming up to the glass to interact with people (much to the horror of a wee two-year-old girl). I had a brief conversation in French with un couple francais en vacances.

Well, Munchkin has fallen asleep on my lap and I'm fading fast, so it's adios and goodnight...

Lazy Sunday afternoon (and Monday)...

2006-09-04T22:34:00.000+08:00

Sunday was quite fun. Doug fetched his Mum and A was dropped off by hers. (she got bored and taken home early). I signed the father's day card with paw prints and burps from 'the boys' along with toast and tea in bed. Later J who has just returned from Bali and not seen Bryn yet popped over. We all piled into 'the bus' (our VW Caravelle), including Charlie Brown, and headed for Boyembara Park. Bryn thoughtfully slept in the ring sling on Doug and didn't grizzle until we got close to home in the car. We made a quick detour up to Monument Hill to watch the sunset. Grandma Pam appeared to have a great time. It was my first major walk since the birth, so I slept well last night!

Today ws D's first day back at work. I wasn't alone for long- Mum arrived with soup for lunch and some gifts from the Mandurah choir people, which included a towel and blanket for Bryn, a hand-knitted yellow baby cardigan and some lovely pampering products for me (bath oils etc). Yay, something for me at last (it's been baby clothes, baby clothes and more baby clothes, which has been wonderfully generous of people, but something self-nurturing for me, when I'm still recovering from the birth, feels luxurious!).

After an intensive feeding session, we managed a trip into town on foot to take care of some business with Bubs in the pram. Bryn bawled all the way in and slept all the way home. After Mum left, we both crashed out on the bed- was I knackered from the hike home uphill. To think, I used to do that walk every day, effortlessly. Oh well...

I had a quick chat with S who is feeling very tired and sleep-deprived- in fact S, L (who wants to visit tomorrow) and D rang within 15 minutes of each other but luckily Bryn slept on until 2 minutes before D walked through the door. Apparenty work was quietish, so not too big a shock to be back, for him...

I'm aiming for my first solo outing in the car with Bryn, to a mother and baby group. Luckily it isn't far.

,

Going Solo...

2006-09-02T23:45:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow is the last day before D returns to work. It also happens to be Father's Day so I've bought a card from Bryn and Charlie :)

I'm wondering how I'll go without his support during the day. I guess I 'll just have to give it a go. B has offered her support, too. Mum is a bit unavailable. I'm looking forward to being more autonomous.

So, we'll have big Sis and Grandma over for lunch tomorrow...

Laptop Dancing...

2006-08-30T18:46:00.000+08:00

I'm faffing around trying to work out how to use the new laptop. I haven't
to managed to post any pics, although the pics are now on the laptop. Otherwise, it's amazing- I highly recommend Dell for service, price and speedy delivery...

Boys...

2006-08-25T18:06:00.000+08:00

J & her two tear-aways A & T dropped in and we had a conversation about 'raising boys' (ie how in many ways it is easier than girls, especially as they get older). It's been cold today- trying bubs in a variety of clothes but finding extra bunny rugs the best thing for added warmth and snuggle factor. We have to allow for the Little Boy Bits factor, whereby he remanins in a clean nappy, but wets his t-shirts in an upward saturation! I haven't been given the fountain treatment yet, but D has been 'baptized' several times while changing him. In the photo just to the right, he is wearing his 'Baby Bear' label beanie with the faux-fur lining, courtesy of Grandma and Aunty c.

I was just thinking how amazing it will be when I have the new PC and can scan photos and add all sorts of things to this blog, pics of Bryn, the garden, rellies and visitors, a snapshot of how the house looks. How exciting- only 7 more sleeps until it is delivered...

Laptop au GoGo...

2006-08-24T17:07:00.000+08:00

I FIIIIINALLY bit the bullet and bought a Dell notebook today (online special) with phone sales assistant help- a bit over budget but heck- everything that opens and shuts for music and picture files. I can soooo feel my book coming on, I jusy want to get out there and type it!

Also had a visit from B and her baby F, who is only 6 days younger than Bryn but even bigger!
4.3kg birthweight). We took a couple of snaps for future reference. D did some gardening out the front while the sun shone.

My sis has asked me to be a model for some beauty treatments on Monday am. The homebirth gang gathering is back to Monday pm now- tea and birfdy cake thanks!....

Expose...

2006-08-22T09:47:00.000+08:00

Sunday afternoon saw us at the Pregnancy & Baby Expo at Claremont Showgrounds- largely crass commercialism, with some interesting stalls. We took Grandma Pam, who seemed to enjoy herself. I got loads of comments about my new wrap sling, questions about where I got it (ha! It cost $20, I made it in ten minutes flat that day, compared with $hundreds for gimmicky devices on sale there!). Followed immediately by a visit from the D'S family. The nephews, especially 8 yearold N, are so curious about their new cousin. 14 year old J just takes it all in and is very soft and gentle around Bryn.

Monday was a bit social too. K, who with her partner has sold their house in the wheatbelt and is flying to Melbourne for good today, popped in to meet Bryn and say goodbye. We finally got to visit S & B and new Baby J. in the afternoon, armed with gifts for all. Midwife T had just left. I've done up an astrology chart for baby J. See www.astrodienst.com if you want to generate charts and readings on the 'net easily.

Bryn's Big Sis A. spent the evening here, playing Trivial Pursuit with D, watching Princess Bride DVD and terrorizing poor Charlie of course. She's more gentle with bubs now and quite curious and wanting to 'nurse' him (her words)...

Look Mum, No Hands!...

2006-08-20T11:57:00.000+08:00

I managed to run up the new wrap sling for Bubs on the sewing machine this morning. It's a cheerful somewhat stretchy red with white flower print, winter weight jersey type fabric. It's sooooo comfortable- I would highly recommend it as a hands-free way to carry and feed Baby. I bought 2.25m of 130cm wide, then cut two 50 cm strips which I sewed into a 4.5m length. I then zigzagged the raw edge and hemmed all the way around for neatness. I had to tear Bryn away from his washing machine revery, but he is now contentedly nestled in his new cocoon as I type. I'll try to sort out the links option here and add a link to the Mama Toto site. Meanwhile, go to www.mamatoto.org for 'baby-wearing' info.

Pet Names...

2006-08-19T13:41:00.000+08:00

...and I am NOT referring tothe ones we give Charlie the dog (Sir Charles, Prince Charles, Chuckles etc) or a popular Beach Boys album! Bryn variously gets called Munchkin Man, Pixie Prince and Buddha Boy (by me)- Doug sometimes calls him Pumpkin Patch or Pumpkin Puss. Cutesy oohy gooey parenthood- isn't it a scream?!...
Yay! C & R the in-laws have burnt all the digital pics onto a CD- lil sis L is coming over with Grandma Pam and will bring it with her. How lovely to be able to post some further pics of Pixie Munchkins... there should be one of him in his bouncer, wearing his 'baby bear' beanie!

I've revisited the Mama Toto site to get measurements for a wrap-style sling. Bought cute red stretch fabric yesterday (along with lovely picture frames for the birth pics and a prezzie for S, B & new baby J- he also fits the size 00000 which are too small for Bryn)...

Could it be Spring?...

2006-08-18T12:57:00.000+08:00

Well, there are definite signs! The orange-flowering pigface is looking glorious and the passionfruit vine almost hasn't noticed that it's been winter, so vigorous has its growth been. D managed to get out there and do some gardening yesterday so the cliff is no longer choked with weeds and all the self -seeded lettuces and greens can breath and thrive.

I'd like to go into town to sort out bureaucracy and swing by the pharmacy for homeopathics.We still haven't seen S & B and new Baby J. Perhaps this weekend? I have it in mind to buy a length of stretch fabric for a baby-wearing wrap -soon!...

Visiting Royalty...

2006-08-16T17:13:00.000+08:00

Oh my God! I married my mother. D has just cleaned the entire house in preparation for some visitors! This is the very thing that used to make my Dad roll his eyes heavenward and say "we must be having Royalty over to visit" implying that if the place was good enough for us, it was clean enough for them. Still, it's nice to be having another round of visitors at this point, now that the immediate festivities have passed. I'd like to have a tea party for Bryn and the Birth Angels team (the two midwives, my partner D and friend J), if we can find a time in common. Then we are thinking of a naming party in the Spring- a picnic at Booyembara Park sounds like just the thing...

Bureaucratic Bog Blog...

2006-08-16T13:09:00.000+08:00

There is a tedious amount of paperwork to be filled in re changes of circumstance, Bryn's arrival etc. The birth registry sent a letter saying we'd ommitted certain details from the birth certificate application, but we both swear blind that we went through it with a fine toothed comb, so to speak. Hopefully they now have what they need, and we will get the official certificate plus the one with Western Australian wildflowers on it (we thought about getting one with native animals, but it was a bit over the top). Now they want proof of address etc and blah, but at least we're getting cracking on it all. The Centrelink (social security office) website is down a lot (too much traffic?) which is a pain as we need to access certain forms via it...

Rain, Hail & Shine...

2006-08-15T20:54:00.000+08:00

Well, not much of the latter by the looks of it (I consulted the Yahoo forecast for 10 days), but lots more rain with intermittent sun here and, incredibly, giant hailstones in Sydney- I was blown away by the news footage which reminded me of snow only harder and slipperier!

I accidentally put the two Indian T-Shirts with non colour-fast dye in with the other smalls. D had to go and get some colour run remover. It was a few clothes of Bryn's plus my knickers so I kind of have blue tie-died undies!

I've convinced D to turn off the TV (he's been sorting through video tapes to see which are blank so that we can tape things rather than being controlled by the TV schedule. We may watch Rove later.

Bryn is on a major suck and sleep fest lately, probably having a growth spurt. D, who bathes him, reckons he has a triple chin and a Buddha belly already and is turning into a chubber but I just think it's a need for reserves of fat to grow. He seems to love being jammed between me and a pillow or crammed into the sling where he resumes the foetal position. Just needs transition time- after all, he took a long time to come out but then arrived suddenly and unceremoniously, so he is entitled to his attempts to flee back into the warm comfort zone...

Wet & Woolly Weather Songs...

2006-08-15T10:34:00.000+08:00

The winter weather persists outside, torrential rain on the tin roof, baby sleeps through it all. D took A to school because of it. Bubs woke me around 8:30 for a feed and then was happy to hang out in the purple sling while I fiddled online. D is entertaining Bryn in what he calls his 'bouncy castle' (the bouncer) in the living room. I am feeling fairly well rested and breakfasted for now. I'd like to go to Officeworks to print some of the pics on J's digi camera. I haven't been able to install the software on my pc yet. Possibly not enough disk space left on the old dinosaur...

Ok, some unapologetically silly songs sung to bub-a-lugs:

(To the tune of What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?)

What shall we do with Baby Brynie
What shall we do with Baby Brynie
What shall we do with Baby Brynie
Earl-y in the morning?

Put him in his bouncer til he's happy etc...
Feed him at the booby til he's full let's etc...
Put him in his sling and cuddle him we'll etc...

Our Little Son Called Bryn (completely original- tune something like The Beverly Hillbillies theme!)

We made a baby and his name is Bryn
He's not small and he's not thin
He's the best little baby that's ever been
Our little son called Bryn
Our little son called Bryn
Our little son called Bryn

Piquenique en Voiture...

2006-08-14T21:24:00.000+08:00

After the trying weekend, midwife T came over and helped me sort out the feeding situation which has largely resolved itself.. I really needed to get out so we went to the CMWA office where I spoke to K the midwife manager again and met MM and caught up with R (all the midwives were having a meeting) as well as picking up my folder and sorting out details. Then we popped in to G the doula's class to show off bubs and pick up my brolly.

On the way there, we bought sandwiches at the deli in Amherst st and ate them in the car at Booyembara Park! Too bleak to get out but at least my vista changed! Bryn slept through. His big sis A is here and we've been watching Aussie Idol try outs. She is gentler with Bryn but absolutely terrorizes poor Charlie the Jack Russell. Hmmm....

Feeding Frenzy...

2006-08-13T22:07:00.000+08:00

I think, in his attempt to get enough sustenance from one side of me, Bryn has to spend longer at the breast, so I've been more or less glued to the sofa and bed today. D is feeding him now with expressed milk which he seems to be okay with and it gives me a break. I think its cumulative tiredness. Today was odd and there is the issue of D's Mum's dementia to compound things. My midwife suggested I get out into the sunshine, but every time I tried, Bryn wanted a feed again. Oh well, I trust it will pass and all cylinders so to speak will work again before too much longer...

Cracking a Big One...

2006-08-13T05:07:00.000+08:00

I am still chuckling about an encounter D and I had yesterday outside our place en route to the yoga class. A cheerful bogan who had been visiting the flats next door called across to us asking how old the baby was ( I had him at the breast in the sling), boy or girl, birthweight etc etc. He then volunteered the following information "me sister had a 9-pounder, then she went and cracked a 10-pounder and I reckon she's never been the same since". :) :) :)...

Poohy Parodies...

2006-08-12T20:52:00.000+08:00

True to form, D and I sing silly songs to Bryn while changing and feeding him. My favourite is to the tune of the Hokey Pokey. It goes

You take the left tit in, you spit the left tit out
You take the right tit in and you suck the milky out
You do a great big burpy then you cry out loud
Cos that's what it's all about!

Oh, do the Brynie Burpy
Oh, do the Brynie Burpy
Oh, do the Brynie Burpy
And that's what it's all about!

The one that D sings is 'Ma, she's making eyes at me, Ma, she's awful nice to me etc.", because when Bryn starts to cry for me it does sound like he's saying "maaaaaa......." !!!

Dad and Dave...

2006-08-12T20:37:00.000+08:00

Oupa and Uncle Dave are over to see the wee bairn! We have been having a decadent Saturday night of pizza and Mary Poppins (on the Telly) interspersed with an episode of Dr Who from the new series. Bryn is sleeping, sleeping, sleeping- even as he feeds he sleeps ("asleep at the meal" I call it!) He happily slept on Uncle David and then on Daddy, so I am up and about for a leg stretch and mini blog...

Serendipitous Encounters...

2006-08-12T17:15:00.000+08:00

We managed to get our act together in time for the 10:30am pregnancy yoga class at the Family Nurturing Centre, to show off Bryn and to talk to S about the breast issues. Had a good chat with R about KEMH. We went home via the Bicton shops and bank where we saw J & B having lunch at a cafe, then M came along! An easy way of catching up with friends :). I rang J to find out about software to download the photos from her on loan digi camera. Since the birth, she has gone the way of half of Freo with a bad cold or flu, as has D's Mum who was meant to come over with sister L. We took her some fruit and picked up the software and cables.

Other good news is that Mum finally has internet and email access! D has slipped away to the recycling yard and taken Charlie for a quick walk. No luck with finding a gardener to keep the weeds from choking the emergent spring flowers, but N has offered to come and cut my hair here during the week, so I'm feeling fairly organized...

Make way for the Milky Express...

2006-08-12T01:41:00.000+08:00

I just had my first experience of expressing milk with the u-beaut electric pump from the community midwives. It was amazing to see how much milk I am producing. Bryn chowed down a bit hard on the right one so I'm giving it a rest for a day but need to avoid it building up and being painful.

The last couple of days have been a food fest for me and him- the more he feeds the more food I need! We also went on an outing to South Beach and sat near the kiosk where we were serendipitously joined by my friend R and her two wee ones (4 and 9 months). On the way home, we stopped at a pharmacy where D bought a cute fish mobile as a prezzie for me and Bryn to add to our collection of glass jingle-jangles (so far we have a dragonfly, a butterfly and a couple of chimes out the back which seem to grab Bryn's attention when we play them). I had managed to race into a newsagency and buy 'Thank You" cards for D and the midwives on Tuesday, as my own gift. I was very tired when we got home, but it felt good to get out in the sunshine while it lasted. Tonight it's rainy and stormy again...

Settling in with Baby Bryn...

2006-08-09T17:45:00.000+08:00

I seem to be able to do things some of the time. Bryn is happy to sleep and I wear him in a comfortable sling which allows me to type online amongst other things...

We went on an outing today and yesterday in the car, to the new pregnancy & childbirth resource centre. It's in a kooky location, right near the railway line in N. Freo, but has more room and a place to run groups. Synchronistically, both 'my' midwives were there as well as K the manager. Today we headed back for the new mums group where 3 of us got the chance to exchange birth stories. I need the contact with other women.

We bought sushi for lunch and drove past D's old house in N. Freo which still has a for lease sign outside (probably asking a mint in rent with the minimum of renovations, having paid 1/2 a million for the modest 1970s villa)...

A Picture of Perfection...

2006-08-07T12:01:00.000+08:00

Bryn Francis, 5 days old

Welcome to the World, Bryn Francis...

2006-08-06T20:00:00.000+08:00

I have a son! A beautiful, healthy, easy-going bundle of a baby whom everyone has fallen in love with (but especially me). But not before what can only be described as a magical mystery tour of labour and birth (the photo on the right is of me in the tub for about 30 hours!) I won't write much about that now, except to say that he arrived at 17:17 on Friday July 28 (his Oupa's- ie my Dad's- 80th Birthday!). He weighed 4.1kg or 9lbs, has masses of dark hair, very alert watchful eyes and took to feeding like a pro. We are calling him Bryn Francis (after my Welsh birthplace and St Francis of Assissi whose love of animals, nature and simplicity has always struck a deep chord with us, although we are not Catholic). Bryn is a very placid, easy-going, low maintenance baby so far and sleeps from about 2am until 8 or 9 in the morning, so sleep deprivation hasn't been as bad as I envisaged. He's just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I'll post some pics as soon as I have some...and hopefully a link to the ones we had taken shortly after his birth...

Hanging out with kindred spirits...

2006-07-26T19:38:00.000+08:00

There is something to be said for hanging out and chatting with other homebirthing mothers-to-be. I've recently befriended a woman who is a great example of someone who had a wonderful water 1st birth at home. I popped in for a cup of tea and a long chat, while our dogs played merrily together. Even in 'natural birth' support environments, we voluntary home birthers are certainly in the minority, so it is heartening to meet and click with like-minded women amongst pregnant women in general...

A Lullaby for my baby...

2006-07-25T16:49:00.000+08:00

The Three Four Lullaby copyright Ginny Webb, July 2006

I wanted to write you
A sweet lullaby
Beamed down from heaven
In three quarter time
To send you to sleepy
Dreamland every night
So I'll sing you The Three Four Lullaby

1 is for Baby, to help you to rest
2 is for Daddy, who thinks you're the best
3 is for Mummy, who's always close by
To sing you her Three Four Lullaby

A Picture of Me (Pre-Pregnancy)...

2006-07-25T10:46:00.000+08:00

I'm off to antenatal aquarobics at Fremantle pool, for another crack at some pre-labour exercise. I know that, when I arrive, the other women will roll their eyes and say "you still here?":..

And sure enough, they did. One of the other women who was due after me has already had her baby (early Sunday morning) ! I'm still not panicking- my midwife is due for a checkup any minute, after which I will go for a massage with my favourite doula, who reckons some pressure point work can do miracles.....

Passionfruit knows no seasons...

2006-07-24T14:57:00.000+08:00

D and I are amazed that the 'Nelly Kelly' grafted passionfruit vine is as established as it is, only six months after planting it against the front limestone wall and that it is still putting out new tendrils in July! Perhaps it has been warmer and more humid overall this winter than I realize, even though it seems that temperatures have dropped at night? We have had more than our usual quota of sunny days. The rest of the vegetable garden is fallow, apart from self-seeded greens (random lettuces and spinach and parsley) which very thoughtfully popped up near the edge (it having become too arduous and treachorous for me to climb up onto the garden as my belly has gotten bigger with babe) and some self-seeded tomatoes in a nearby seedling planter. They are all thirstily drinking up the torrential rain as I type and doubling in size daily.

They say that in early parenthood it is important to learn to 'love the weeds'! The limestone 'cliff' is certainly weed-bound- I can't safely get up there and D has been doing so much else, on top of working still. I hope that with the aid of slings and 'baby-wearing' of different kinds, I might be able to garden with bubs in tow....

Let it rain...

2006-07-24T14:27:00.001+08:00

Wow! The rain is amazing. July Perth deluge. My tum is taut with a baby about to be born. It is toast and baked potato and tea and stew time of year, nesting and cosying up and staying warm and indoors time...

I wonder when Bub-a-lugs will make the awesome journey? Today is my so-called 'due date', but I know that this process has its own time, follows its own course...Everything feels ready, the room, the tub. My body is ripe and the fridge is full. The midwives are poised. Sometime, sometime in the next week or two...